The event was for local equestrians who earned points at various horse shows across the country.

In the adult amateur 18-35 category, Powers earned a total of 620 points at more than 15 shows from Dec. 1, 2009, through Nov. 30, 2010.

She accomplished this riding her competitive partner, Dauntless Dillon, an 11-year-old, 16.3 hand Hanoverian gelding, which she has owned for three years.

Competing at many of the same horse shows, her mother Pat Powers came in second, earning a total of 565 points. Her mother competes in the pre-adult hunter division.

According to LJHA President Genie Harper, Tori Powers has been a perennial winner over the past several years. Both Tori and her mother train with Harper at Oak Haven Farm in Folsom.

“I have been riding about nine years and have been training with Genie the last seven years,” Tori Powers said. “One of the best things about riding is that my mother also trains with Genie, and I love the fact that we get to ride together.”

Although the two women ride together and attend the same horse shows, they compete in different classes.

“My mother is the reason I started riding,” Tori Powers said. “She rode in California before I was born then put it aside to raise a family. As I got older, she got me interested. My mother keeps me going with it; keeps me active. She is always rooting for me, making sure I’m doing good before she worries about herself and her own riding goals.”

According to Harper, Tori is a very good rider and has consistently won year-end awards.

“Tori is a real delight to teach,” Harper said. “She is very close to her horses and always puts them first.”

She added that both Tori and her mother enjoy being able to ride together.

“Her mother understands all of the hard work that goes into it and they have a great relationship,” she said.

While Pat Powers is new to competitive jumping, Tori was ready to get into jumping almost as soon as she got into riding.

“Tori has a natural feel for her horses and develops a strong bond with them, which is part of the reason she is so successful,” Harper said.

In addition to being the top state competitor at the banquet, Tori also was noted for winning the USEF/USHJA Zone 7 Adult Hunter Finals, which was held in Tyler, Texas, last fall. She was one of 25 equestrians from Zone 7 who were invited to participate in the Amateur Adult Hunter (18-35) class, which was just one of 25 events at the show. Zone 7 includes Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Participants had to be active members of the U.S. Equestrian Federation and the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association.

“It felt really great to participate in that show,” Powers said. “There are a lot of great horses in the top 25 in our zone and a lot of really good competitors. It was awesome to come out on top and it shows just how good my horse was.”

She not only won her class but was the champion for the weekend as well. She found that the gallop around the ring for a victory lap was exciting and allowed her to celebrate the moment with her horse.

“I really love my horse; he has to rely on me and I rely on him, which makes a strong bond,” she said. “He feels like part of my family and when my family goes on trips over the summer, I feel like someone is missing.”

Despite her closeness to Dillon, finding time to ride is a challenge. She is a full-time student at Tulane University and most equestrian competitions are held during the school year.

“My goal this year is to finish as the zone champion,” she said, adding that she will be attending as many shows as possible to accomplish that goal.

“I participated in a show at Serenity Farm in Folsom two weeks ago, and will be at the five-week-long mid-winter Gulf Coast shows beginning this week.”

The next local show will be held the weekend of April 9 at Hunter’s Bluff, located north of Covington on Louisiana 25.